I've Dangled My Feet Over The Precipice
by animerocksgirl13
Summary: How you sat with your feet dangling over the precipice, deciding wheather or not to jump, waiting for someone to save you? Well I have. Ulquihime
1. Green

**I've Dangled My Feet Over The Precipice**

It was just a normal day, nothing more. I was working in the bake shop, serving up customers, just like usual. They all were hungry and had huge smiles on their faces when I gave them their pastries. I loved it there, it was like a heaven on earth.

I did a tiny spin as I turned to grab a cupcake from the case. I ended up bumping into Alex, and in the process, getting cake all over myself.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the girl apologized to me. She was newer here than me and still nervous about everything.

"Don't worry about it, accidents happen" I said, waving off the apologizes. She kept going on about how she was so clumsy and sorry about ruining my clothes. Her voice was getting louder and more hysterical with every word and her black hair was falling over her face. "Alex, calm down."

I stood up and looked over the counter at the customer who was waiting and let out a nervous laugh. "Just give us a sec!" He nodded indifferently. I would have changed aprons, if it was only on the apron. But no, it was all over me. Literally; it was in my hair, on my face, clothes, even my shoes.

"What's going on out here?" my boss asked. Alex whimpered just a bit.

"Mr. Garasu, don't worry. I ran into Alex and got cake on myself. I can still-" I tried to explain to Garasu.

"No, go home Inoue. We can handle the rest for today, besides, you only have another hour. You're off the hook." He returned to the waiting customer and Alex went to fetch to mop.

"Oh, okay" I sighed. I went to the back of the shop to get my bag and umbrella. I ran a brush through my hair, hoping it may help get some of the icing out. It did a little bit.

Once I walked out of the back door, I opened the umbrella to prevent myself from getting wet. I was shielded from the rain as I walked down the street, singing a sing I didn't know the name of. Alex waved from the window of the shop and I waved back with a smile.

Things had changed since almost two years ago. Rukia wasn't around and Ichigo had lost his powers. I didn't do much fighting anymore, in fact, I didn't wear my hair pins on most days. Uryū does most of the fighting, so there wasn't much left to do besides work at the cute new bake shop down the street. Tatsuki and I are still close, and Sado…was still Sado.

I had changed, too. Since I was kidnapped, I had grown more mature, more… adult-like. I didn't rely on Ichigo anymore, I could defend myself. I had learned how to endure. In reality, that whole experience may have helped me.

I crossed the street, still singing to myself. It was pouring buckets now, and it was slippery. So slippery that I nearly fell in the middle of the street twice. It was also hard for the cars because they were sliding when they hit the brakes. But I didn't care, I just kept walking. And I slipped again.

But the time it was different. Pain shot up my leg and I couldn't get to my feet. My umbrella and bag were sprawled on the street and I was wet and cold. But those were the least of my problems. A red mini-van was barreling down the street and about to cross the intersection. The horn blared at me to get out of the way.

I couldn't. I couldn't move fast enough to escape the approaching headlights. I threw my hands over my face and tensed up. The horn grew louder and louder until I realized it was right in front of me. But before it could hit, I felt a pressure on my arm tugging me to the left of the street.

I felt the sidewalk bite into my arm and tear at my skin as the horn blew past. I sat upright and looked around and I saw it. Even though it was dark, I still the little bit of green before it disappeared. Every hair on my neck seemed to stand straight and I felt cold. My heart jumped and began to beat faster than it ever had before.

The driver stepped out of the car to ask if I was okay, but I couldn't hear him. All I could focus on was that little spot of darkness when the green had been. And I found myself running home without my umbrella or bag, totally soaked. My apartment was in view and I silently thanked myself for putting the key in my coat pocket. I kept running, faster now, towards it. I was out of breath, but I forced my lungs to take in oxygen and move my legs.

I ran up the outside stairs and grabbed the key out of its pocket when I reached the door. I stumbled in, wet, cold, and exhausted. But the image of that green kept flashing through my mind every time I blinked. I curled up against the door and began to sob. My chest heaven as the halls echoed with my cries. It couldn't be, it wasn't possible.

So how was I alive? I knew the answer: It was starting again.

**So, me has a new story! I have really nothing to say, but I felt the need for an A/N.**


	2. Damage

**I've Dangled My Feet Over The Precipice **

The next morning, I woke up in front of the door with a major headache. Briefly, I wondered if this is what a hangover felt like. I couldn't remember anything for a moment, I wanted to sleep till my head felt better. Slowly and with a groan, I hoisted myself to my feet and stared at my now ruined clothes. There were bits of cake and frosting on my skirt, now flaky and staling. Another substance stained the long skirt, it was a brick red. Almost the color of dried blood. All of a sudden, I dashed away from the door and into the bathroom, ignoring the throbbing in my head, and stripping myself of clothes.

I looked in the mirror at my bare body. There was damage, not a lot of it, but what there was, it was serious. A long gash ran up most of my leg, now covered by a nasty red scab. My knee was bruised, and sore to walk on. I tenderly poked it, wincing at the slight pain. Both of my arms had small cuts on them, my right one having a slightly larger one, but nothing like the one on my leg.

But the thing that shocked me was on my left arm, near my shoulder. There were red marks, not bruises, almost in the shape of a hand. When I touched them, they didn't hurt the slightest. But I was still alarmed. Between the flash of green, in such a shade I had only seen once in my life; and the marks, the previous night was startling me more and more.

As much as I wanted to deny it and say it was just a friendly person, I knew what was really happening. I continued to stand before my mirror, not assessing the injuries, but rather, battling with myself.

Some things are meant to be in the past. I knew that, and I had accepted it. If someone is dead, honor them with your thoughts, but don't hope they'll return. I learned that. So, why now was I seeing _him_? It had been almost a year and a half, I had even giving up the possibility of using my rejection powers. My thoughts conflicted like this for a moment more, when a doorbell rang, calling me into the world.

Quickly, I threw on my sundress that was on a hanger in the bathroom and went to the door. I didn't look through the peephole, I just opened the door. Outside stood a man with shaggy brown hair and an orange bag with an umbrella sticking out. He smiled at me.

"Uh, hi. I think I nearly hit you last night…listen, I'm really sorry about that. It was raining, and dark, and—!"

"Oh, no! Its okay, I wasn't looking where I was going. Its me who should be apologizing!" I said quickly. I shifted my angle so my left arm was behind me, hiding the odd red marks. The man looked nice enough, maybe a year or two older than me. I was going to comment on my clumsiness when he held up the bag.

"This is yours. You left it in the street last night" he said. "And I got the address off of your ID! I'm not stalking you!" he said, obviously embarrassed. I smiled understandingly, reached out with my right hand and grabbed the bag. Clipped to the inside pocket, I saw my hair pins resting. Internally, I sighed with relief. I had no idea what I would do if I lost them.

"Thank you…? I don't know your name!" I giggled, placing the bag against the inside wall. He became red. "I'm Saga Cole."

"Thank you Saga-kun. I don't know why I even forgot them in the first place." Intenally, I was laughing at the man's nervousness. It was serious and obvious, like a first grader reading at the front of a class, but only, this was a man. Talking to me.

"Well, I guess I'll be going then" Saga-kun said, shifting between feet. "I'll, uh, see you around?"

"Yeah, see you around!" I said brightly. I watched him walk off until he had reached the street. Not out of fascination, maybe because I was now worried about people getting ran down by cars. I turned and shut the door, making sure to lock it behind me.

Wordlessly, I summoned my rikka to heal my leg and arms. As the marks faded, no longer existing, I tried to remember anything else from the previous night. But all I could recall was the grip on my arm and the green. Not enough facts to think that he was alive.

My wounds were gone, and the rikka went back to the bag where my hairpins were. My powers were enough to revive the dead, but I had never tried to with him. But, still, as I had previously thought, it was impossible. I had seen him fade to ashes on the dome of Las Noches. I didn't try to revive him, because there was nothing to reject him with.

Once more, I walked into my small bathroom and stripped. There wasn't even so much as a scar on my body where gashes had been. There was no evidence it had ever happened. It was truly remarkable, I always thought to myself. I stared running the water for my bath, my brain still thinking of the subject.

The green was the only proof. There as more logic than hope. I sighed and slid into the tub, sad. I'd see Uryuu today, maybe he'd help me. Or maybe we could just eat and drink coffee. But, not even that idea could get my mind off of the case. I slid further into the water, till the point where everything below my eyes was submerged.

There was no chance, I told myself, that Ulquiorra is alive.

**A/N. I'm sorry about not updating. It was hard to write this chapter, I lost the zest for the story. But I found it again. Thank you Ali Kriss, your review was really the thing that motivated me to finish this chapter.**


	3. Nightmares and PeopleGazing

**I've Dangled My Feet Over The Precipice**

_I was alone in Las Noches. There was a single ray of light emitted by the eternal crescent moon. My uniform was torn in all places, the sleeves were gone, along with the cape. It was cold… so cold._

_There was a noise behind me, I turned to see Ulquiorra standing five feet away from me. I reached out to him, the space between us kept growing larger. I kept reaching for what seemed like the longest time, but I remained five feet away from him. _

_I jumped to him. I made contact with his shoulder, but my hand went right through him. He turned to ash and blew away on an invisible wind. I stood where I was, in shock when another noise sounded. I turned around, and before me stood a woman at my height. She had short black hair and wore the uniform of Las Noches._

_She let out a loud, sharp laugh and I felt myself flinch. She threw her head back as she laughed. I wasn't afraid of her. I felt like I knew her. The woman had stopped laughing and was now pointing a pale finger at me. Her head hung low._

"_You killed him" she said. I felt my heart clench and I took a step back._

"_N-no I didn't!" I defended myself. "You did!" I cried._

_She looked up and I saw her face. Like her hands, her face was pale, short black hair framed large red eyes. On her face was psychotic grin. Her voice was warped, but I recognized it as my own "Don'tchya see? We're the same."_

I screamed, water splashed around me. I sat upright in my bathtub, breaking out in a cold sweat. My whole body was soaked, I must've fallen asleep. I had to do a head to toe check. My hands weren't pale, my hair was long, I checked it's color—still brown.

This didn't out me at ease. Usually, I didn't dream. Before Las Noches, sure. But I hadn't had a dream in seventeen months. And if I did, they weren't nightmares like this one.

The water I was sitting in had gone cold. How long was I asleep? Looking up at the small clock that hung to the left of the sink, I saw the time. 3:45.

I was late. "Oh no, Ishida-kun is waiting!" I scrambled out of the tub, slipping on some water that had spilled. The area around the tub was covered in water, so I threw down a few towels and unplugged to stopper in the tub. My clothes lay in a neat stack on the sink, and I quickly changed, then I wiped the last of the water up with the towels and threw them into the hamper.

My hair was put into a simple braid (I even did a little trick I picked up, and braided my pins in with it!) and I quickly pulled on some boots; once again falling over, but landing on my mat. I checked my bag: money, keys, umbrella (Couldn't forget it after what happened), and I was off, making sure to lock the door behind me.

I stopped at the street and looked both ways…three times. Crossing the street, I had a feeling that I would always do that. Oh no, I'd probably scold Tatsuki and Shinji and Ichigo and Rukia…. Oh.

Kutchiki-san hadn't been in town for so long, I missed her. It was nice to have a girl around—sure I had Tatsuki, but Rukia and I knew what we had wholly been through. She saved me from Las Noches, and I know that if I had given Tatsuki the chance, she would too. She also would've beaten up Ulquiorra.

I shook my head. I needed to stop thinking about the past, I normally didn't. But, that green, that brilliant green. Only once had I seen such a color, and it was hard to forget it.

Crossing another street, I began to look for a sign that said the name of the café. Then I did something I hadn't done in a while, I people gazed. It was a habit I developed, just looking at people's hair, their faces and eyes, so on and so on. It was nice, just to realize how different everyone is.

Karakura and its surrounding towns did have citizens with odd traits. Some were oddly tall, others had striking blue eyes, or facial piercings that could be spotted from meters away.

A person with pink hair stared into a bookstore, an extremely tall man with long black hair loomed over a woman with hair that looked green. A man with narrow eyes was drinking with a shorter man, who seemed to be getting annoyed. And as I scanned crowds, I found myself hoping for green eyes, wishing I could dash through people and be face-to-face with him again.

But, strange as it seemed, no one had green eyes that day.

I was immersed in my thoughts, that I walked past the shop, and the only thing that made me notice this was Ishida-kun calling my name. Quickly, I retreated back a few shops and greeted my friend.

"Hi, Ishida!" I smiled and hugged him. He wasn't much taller than me when I wore boots, but I always felt safe with him.

"Ah, Inoue, you were late, I was starting to get worried" he said when we were walking in. "You normally aren't late for anything."

"W-well" I began, not wanting to mention everything "I just fell asleep in my bathtub. I wasn't quite awake- you know?" I finished a little too quickly. Normally, I would tell Ishida about these things, but I didn't want to today. It just… felt too personal.

"Yeah… I know what you mean. So, go and order, I'll find a table" my friend said. I strolled to the back of the short line and began to hum away. I hadn't forgotten the dream yet, an oddity. That girl-me- I couldn't forget her face. Was that a hollow side? Like Shinji's and Kurosaki's? Was I a vizard now? No, I would have to have a sword to do that. But, are my Rikka a sword? I pondered this for a moment before coming to the conclusion that, no, they aren't.

I ordered our drinks and food and waited by the pickup counter until they came. Hot chocolate for me—I don't drink caffeine. I tipped the cashier and located the table Ishida had chosen. As, I walked there, I noticed something. While I was people gazing.

A girl about my age, walked by me. Her hair was a typical black, and her eyes had an odd tint of brown—they almost looked red. She was pale, and I felt a chill run down my spine like electricity. Act normal, I told myself. It was only a dream… it was only a dream.

By the time I sat down, I was scared. It was just a coincidence, right? If my life was normal, yeah. She just has a little bit. But, after what I've been through—absolutely not.

"Something wrong, Inoue?" Ishida asked from across the table. I forced a smile.

"No, nothing at all. Just… thinking about schoolwork" I lied. Pfft, schoolwork was the last thing on my mind at the moment.

He nodded, as if saying that he didn't fully believe me, but wasn't going to press on.

I was only listening for half of the conversation. The other half, was spent remembering the faces of the people I gazed. And from what I remembered, I wasn't wrong; there were no green eyes.

**Hola, muchachas y muchachos! Como estas?**** Sorry, I had to, I'm taking Spanish now (I swear, the only reason I'm passing is because of the amount of Spanish Kubo uses)**

**I will update soon, I promise! Read and review. **

**Goodnight, lovelies!**


End file.
